Free Buddhist Audio

Dive into the fascinating world of karma as its true meaning is unveiled, revealing how it affects our lives. Explore the interplay of conditionality and ethics, encouraging mindfulness in our actions. Discover the profound influence of intentions in communication, showcasing how kindness can lead to positive outcomes. Learn about the complexities of cause and effect, and understand how past actions aren't the sole determinant of our experiences. This enlightening discussion paves a liberating path for personal growth.

Concise and essential, Satyaraja draws out practical and profound aspects of the four Brahmaviharas, considering them as both meditation practices and as realms that we can occupy. This is the second talk in a series of four talks on the topic of karuna, compassion. From the series Brahmaviharas and the Awakening of the Bodhi Mind given at Padmaloka Retreat Centre Winter Retreat, 2016. *** Help keep FBA free for everyone! Become a supporter today.  Subscribe to our Dharmabytes podcast - bite-size pieces of Dharma inspiration, two times a week! Follow our blog for news and new Dharma FBA on Twitter FBA on Facebook FBA on Soundcloud

A stirring and penetrating talk by Dhammadinna around the image that a Bodhisattva's compassion runs as deep as their very bones. Nagarjuna, Milarepa and others add their voices as Dhammadinna makes an emotionally resonant but clear-eyed attempt to lay out the ground of a practice that is moving towards the development of Bodhichitta. Why bother? she asks us, and shows how open-heartedness can respond realistically and well to suffering in our own lives and in the lives of others. Talk given at the Triratna (Western) Buddhist Order Convention, 2009. *** Help keep FBA free for everyone! Become a supporter today.  Subscribe to our Dharmabytes podcast - bite-size pieces of Dharma inspiration, two times a week! Follow our blog for news and new Dharma FBA on Twitter FBA on Facebook FBA on Soundcloud

Ratnaguna gives us ten pieces of advice from the Buddha that speak to the isolation we're experiencing whilst the world is in lockdown. The talk was given via Zoom, following the temporary closure of Manchester Buddhist Centre due to the Coronavirus pandemic, April 3, 2020. *** Help keep FBA free for everyone! Become a supporter today.  Subscribe to our Dharmabytes podcast - bite-size pieces of Dharma inspiration, two times a week! Follow our blog for news and new Dharma FBA on Twitter FBA on Facebook FBA on Soundcloud  

Vilasamani  gives an introduction to the twelve links on the wheel of life, specifying how the spiral path emerges from the gap between feeling and craving. Talk given at West London Buddhist Centre, 2016. Help keep FBA free for everyone! Become a supporter today.  Subscribe to our Dharmabytes podcast - bite-size pieces of Dharma inspiration, two times a week! Follow our blog for news and new Dharma FBA on Twitter FBA on Facebook FBA on Soundcloud

Here we have Maitreyi talking about communicating through symbols, this time round through the hub of the wheel of life. Talk given at Mid Essex Buddhist Centre, February 2020. *** Help keep FBA free for everyone! Become a supporter today.  Subscribe to our Dharmabytes podcast - bite-size pieces of Dharma inspiration, two times a week! Follow our blog for news and new Dharma FBA on Twitter FBA on Facebook FBA on Soundcloud

Vadanya launches a series of talks on three great Buddhist symbols that describe the way things are: the wheel of life, the spiral path, and the ultimate goal of Enlightenment. Together they form a guide to escape from the ultimate vicious circle into the complete freedom and fulfilment of Awakening. Here, Vadanya explores on the wheel by describing the symbolism of each of the four concentric rings which make up this rich representation of samsara, the never-ending repetition of habitual patterns in which it feels our life is lived for us.  The scenes described within the wheel help us to recognise the states of mind we inhabit and offer guidance towards healthier realms from which we can make real progress. Ultimately the aim is not to conquer the world but to go beyond it altogether, escaping the wheel and enter upon the spiral path, the threefold path of ethics, meditation and wisdom. Recorded at Sheffield Buddhist Centre, 2020. *** Help keep FBA free for everyone! Become a supporter today.  Subscribe to our Dharmabytes podcast - bite-size pieces of Dharma inspiration, two times a week! Follow our blog for news and new Dharma FBA on Twitter FBA on Facebook FBA on Soundcloud

Instead of the traditional description of the Fourth Noble Truth - the Eightfold Path - Saccanama  explores Sangha as a means to counter the individualism of our times. What exactly is the true meaning of Sangha? And how can the mysterious ‘third order of consciousness’ or Bodhicitta help us to transcend our preoccupation with ourselves? He looks at three stories from Buddhist tradition that explore the true meaning of Sangha - the Anuruddhas, the Pure Land and the passage from the Vimalakirti Nirdesa about the 500 Licchavi youths. Concluding the series as a whole, he shares some personal experiences of Sangha. This talk is part of the series Challenging Dharma for Challenging Times given at Nottingham Buddhist Centre, 2020. *** Help keep FBA free for everyone! Become a supporter today.  Subscribe to our Dharmabytes podcast - bite-size pieces of Dharma inspiration, two times a week! Follow our blog for news and new Dharma FBA on Twitter FBA on Facebook FBA on Soundcloud

Kalyana Mitrata is spiritual friendship, even 'the lovely intimacy', the need for close and supportive connections with others in treading the path. Ratnaprabha  explores why the Buddha said spiritual friendship is 'the whole of the Buddhist Life'. Is it as important now as it was in the Buddha's time? Is a Kalyana Mitra the same thing as a guru or teacher? How can we make the intimate connections in our lives really stimulating and nourishing? How do we learn to communicate kindly and openly? Talk given at West London Buddhist Centre, 2013. *** Help keep FBA free for everyone! Become a supporter today.  Subscribe to our Dharmabytes podcast - bite-size pieces of Dharma inspiration, two times a week! Follow our blog for news and new Dharma FBA on Twitter FBA on Facebook FBA on Soundcloud

Vajratara introduces the theme of spiritual friendship or kalyana mitrata. What is spiritual friendship? How is it distinguished from ordinary friendship? How can we make friends? What is the difference between vertical and horizontal friendship? Using stories, personal anecdotes and images she introduces the overall theme to prepare for more talks in this series, which focusses on the tantric rites and friendship. This talk is part of the series Spiritual Friendship and the Tantric Rites, given at a Tiratanaloka/ Buddhafield retreat for women who have asked for ordination within the Triratna Buddhist Order, 2019. *** Help keep FBA free for everyone! Become a supporter today.  Subscribe to our Dharmabytes podcast - bite-size pieces of Dharma inspiration, two times a week! Follow our blog for news and new Dharma FBA on Twitter FBA on Facebook FBA on Soundcloud